Germany’s Jens Schoor celebrated his first Tour title success in Spain when he upset top-seeded Frenchman Julien Balbo in the final of the Esportiu Rocafort San Anton Rocafort Open, the PSA World Tour Challenger 5 event in its 12th successive year at the Club Esportiu Rocafort in Barcelona.
The third seed from Koblenz made his breakthrough in the first round where he defeated 35-year-old local hero Oriol Salvia, the twice winner of the title who was hoping to reach his fourth final in a row.
Schoor went on to overcome Dutch qualifier Sebastian Weenink in the semi-finals before marking his third appearance in a Tour final.
Favourite Balbo also despatched a Spaniard en-route to getting past a Dutchman in the last four round.
Schoor twice led in the final – and twice 31-year-old Balbo fought back to draw level.
But the 23-year-old German underdog re-established his authority in the decider, closing out the match 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5 in 68 minutes to secure the third PSA Tour title of his career.
Final:
[3] Jens Schoor (GER) bt [1] Julien Balbo (FRA) 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5 (68m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Julien Balbo (FRA) bt [4] Piedro Schweertman (NED) 11-7, 17-15, 9-11, 11-9 (64m)
[3] Jens Schoor (GER) bt [Q] Sebastian Weenink (NED) 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (35m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Julien Balbo (FRA) bt [Q] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 (30m)
[4] Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (25m)
[3] Jens Schoor (GER) bt Neil Hitchens (ENG) 11-4, 11-6, 13-11 (44m)
[Q] Sebastian Weenink (NED) bt Jose Facchini (ITA) 11-8, 11-9, 12-10 (45m)
1st round:
[1] Julien Balbo (FRA) bt Joan Lezaud (FRA) 11-6, 11-9, 14-12 (50m)
[Q] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt [Q] Florent Pontiere (FRA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-9 (33m)
Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Ben Coleman (ENG) 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9 (79m)
[4] Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt Khawaja Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4 (44m)
[3] Jens Schoor (GER) bt [Q] Oriol Salvia (ESP) 7-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4 (65m)
Neil Hitchens (ENG) bt Hugo Varela (ESP) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (60m)
Jose Facchini (ITA) bt Bart Ravelli (NED) 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (42m)
[Q] Sebastian Weenink (NED) bt [2] Dylan Bennett (NED) 12-10, 11-7, 11-7 (21m)
Qualifying finals:
Florent Pontiere (FRA) bt Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 8-11, 11-8, 11-4, 10-12, 11-4 (65m)
Oriol Salvia (ESP) bt Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 11-5, 11-3, 11-2 (27m)
Sebastian Weenink (NED) bt Caspar Grauball Nielsen (DEN) 11-7, 5-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-5 (84m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt Ivan Flores (ESP) 11-2, 11-7, 11-6 (36m)
1st qualifying round:
Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) bt Jamie Mathews (ENG) 11-9, 12-10, 3-11, 13-11 (44m)
Florent Pontiere (FRA) bt Neeraj Aggarwal (AUS) 11-7, 11-6, 11-8 (32m)
Oriol Salvia (ESP) bt Michelangelo Bertocchi (ITA) 11-8, 11-4, 11-2 (40m)
Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt Nick Staunton (IRL) 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 (29m)
Sebastian Weenink (NED) bt Alex Ingham (ENG) 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9 (75m)
Caspar Grauball Nielsen (DEN) bt Mohammed Yaquop Hajeyah (KUW) 12-14, 11-4, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6 (69m)
Ivan Flores (ESP) bt Edu Nadal (ESP) 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (15m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt Frank Hartkoren (NED) 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (50m)
